The Three Laws (quick answer)
I. Know what is in your control and what is not.
Most people waste their lives angry about the wrong things.
II. Do what is right, not what is easy.
The easy path is usually a debt you pay later, with interest.
III. Protect your own, but do not take what is not yours.
There is a difference between strength and theft.
Law I — Control
Know what is in your control and what is not. Most people waste their lives angry about the wrong things.
Law I echoes the opening line of Epictetus's Enchiridion: “Some things are within our power, while others are not.” The books draw on the Stoics; they are not a Stoicism textbook.
“Anger at things you cannot control is like shouting at the rain. The rain does not hear you, and you only lose your voice.”
For parents: teen anger, and what Seneca told parents to do about it.
From Chapter 2 of Foundation.
Law II — Right vs easy
Do what is right, not what is easy. The easy path is usually a debt you pay later, with interest.
“Do not ask: ‘Does this feel good now?’ Feelings lie. Ask instead: ‘Will this make my future easier or harder?’”
From Chapter 2 of Foundation.
For parents: when your teenager is lying, and how to make the truth the easy option.
Law III — Protect without taking
Protect your own, but do not take what is not yours. There is a difference between strength and theft.
“The test is not whether you will be caught. The test is whether you will still recognize yourself afterward.”
From Chapter 2 of Foundation.
How the laws work together
Volume I, Foundation, builds a young reader's character around these three rules; Volume II, The Mind, trains the thinking that keeps them.
Foundation → · The Mind → · Series hub →
For daughters and sons
Dimitrios Tsakmakis wrote the series for girls and boys alike who want to grow up kalos kagathos (καλός κἀγαθός), noble and good, and as capable, critical-thinking, sensible adults. The laws are not boys-only.
Written by Dimitrios Tsakmakis, who served as a special forces paratrooper in the army and is now a serving police officer in Greece. About →
FAQ
What are the Three Laws?
The Three Laws at the heart of Dimitrios Tsakmakis's series are: I. Know what is in your control and what is not. II. Do what is right, not what is easy. III. Protect your own, but do not take what is not yours.
Are the Three Laws from Stoicism?
They draw on the Stoics, especially Epictetus's teaching on what is in our power, but they are not "Epictetus's Three Laws". They are a practical code in Foundation, not a Stoicism textbook.
Which book should I read first for the Three Laws?
Start with Volume I, Foundation. It builds a young reader's character around these three rules. Volume II, The Mind, trains the thinking that keeps them under pressure.